1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of dermatology and in particular to facial skin rejuvenation and plastic surgery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rubin, “Control Apparatus Particularly Useful For Controlling A Laser,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,396 (1986) describes controlling a laser with respect to a working area to trace a desired pattern on that working area. The device traces a pattern that may be either a line pattern or an area pattern and encompasses a laser control apparatus that controls the movement of the laser beam with respect to the working area, especially the line pattern or area pattern, so as to facilitate the control of the laser for surgical applications. A desired pattern may be input manually and produces electrical signals in accordance with the input pattern; a memory stores the input pattern; display means shows the displayed pattern to an operator; and a control system directs the laser beam in a precise and predetermined manner. The system provides for automatic mode function that is linked to a verify-operation input key as a fail safe mechanism.
Slatkine et. al., “Laser Facial Rejuvenation,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,386 (1998) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,795 (1997) describe a process wherein an area of skin is ablated to above the papillary dermis so as to effect permanent smoothness by use of a directed laser beam. This invention uses a laser in conjunction with a flash scanner system that contains reflectors such as mirrors or prisms to reflect laser beams of light and control the laser output to a desired pattern of irradiation. A laser beam is generated at a source 12 and travels through an optical wave guide 14 to the flash scanner 16 containing a reflector system. The optical wave guide provides superior wave guide capability for the laser beam, as well as de-focusing the laser beam; after passing through the flash scanner the laser beam is emitted to irradiate the skin surface. Use here of flash scanning enables the smoothing of raised areas of skin by vaporizing epidermal areas and underlying dermal layers layer by layer. Using laser parameters disclosed within the specification of the Patent, ablation is effected to the papillary dermal layer causing minimal dermal necrosis and thereby permitting collagen production for smoothing out the skin so as to provide sufficient healing with substantially permanent results. Rapid movement of the laser beam over the tissue is accomplished by preprogramming the desired scan time and with minimal overlapping. Slatkine fails to show any automatic detection and activation of the laser treatment to areas in need thereof.
Le Gargasson et. al., “High Resolution Device For Observing A Body,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,900 (2003) applies a method of measuring wave front distortions within the context of identifying a shape identity or distortion according to comparison of two wave fronts. The device is further designed to detect regions of isoplanarity of a micro surface, these micro surfaces are determined by prior study over a defined surface. Working with predetermined parameters of wave front distortion the device identifies departures from this threshold wave front distortion indicating that the scanned surface is not isoplanar. It is then necessary to reduce the area of the surface until it does become isoplanar. Part of the device encompasses a stepper scanning device 30 for changing the micro surface observed. The stepper scanning device directs the optical flux emitted by the source 12 so as to scan in succession a series of micro surfaces; the extent of the surfaces analyzed is chosen by the operator. The image capture and construction device 40 encompassed within the invention is an optical-electronic receiver comprising an electronic and data processing unit provided with a clock unit that generates a sequence of events and amplifies and processes the signals coming from sensors, from possible elements for modulating the illumination flux, or from possible dynamic filtering control elements. An image construction device is placed down stream of a confocal filter and consists of a detector 700 of the photo multiplier or avalanche photo diode or CCD type. The sensor 700 is a single non-matrix sensor. The device further includes an electronic system for temporo-spatial conversion of the information making it possible, based on a single sensor, to fill in a matrix of values corresponding to the measurements carried out at each point making up the micro surface. A dynamic mask device 720 is incorporated and consists of a diaphragm spatially scanning the claimed detector so as to cover in succession the entire surface of interest.
Asah et. al., “Apparatus For Tissue Treatment,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,776 (2003) is directed to a hand niece for cosmetic tissue treatment useful for ablating a thin epidermal layer of the skin of the patient as well as for selectively ablating lesions such as liver spots, red spots, tattoos, blood vessels, warts, hair follicles, wounds, etc. The device is designed to treat superficial tissues by laser ablation in uniform manner that is both automatic and accurate in limiting the reshaping of the surface tissues to a desired depth, causing only a minimum of damage to cells not removed. A laser beam is transmitted to the handheld device which splits the beam into first and second beams, the first beam useful for an operator to observe and confirm the area to be treated, while the second beam is the actual high energy laser beam that covers substantially the same area of treatment as the first beam. The ablating laser beam is directed through the handheld device which when held stationary provides for a automatic scanning of the desired surface to be treated. By employing a line by line traversing pattern the directed laser beam can be used to ablate areas of any arbitrary shape. Scanning is done in a non-interlacing traversing pattern to minimize or obviate tissue damage in the neighboring areas. Adaptations are contemplated for this device which include the remote operation or fine control with a distant or remote computer; various patterns of traverse of the laser beam can also be generated and accomplished through remote computer interface with the handheld scanning ablative laser device. The optics of the apparatus limits the possible areas of scanning to about 10×10 mm; obviously larger areas can be treated by sequential application of the handheld device to neighboring sections of the patient's body surface. Another interesting aspect of the clinical application of the device is that the size and shape of the scanned area can be blended into the surrounding untreated areas by use of four-sided fade-out and fade-in intensity scan lines 60. Fade-in or fade-out effects are accomplished by gradually increasing or decreasing the intensity of the laser light respectively or by decreasing or increasing the speed of the movement of the laser beam respectively. When scanning different types of tissue as a global cosmetic treatment plan envisioned by your client, it is preferred to address the speed of the scan of light beam instead of adjusting the power output of the laser beam.
Itzkan, “Laser System For Providing Target Specific Energy Deposition And Damage,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,660 (1988) is directed to a hand piece for use with a laser that includes a scanning mechanism to control the amount of radiation applied to a target area thereby adjusting the thermal diffusion from the light absorbing portion of the target site for selective target specific energy injection or application. The invention contemplates use for dermatologic purposes and specifically incorporates an adjustable scanning mechanism to permit radiation to impinge on tissue for a predetermined amount of time to selectively necrose specific types of tissue while leaving adjacent tissue and other nearby structures undamaged. The hand tool of this invention delivers ultra short laser pulses of energy to minimize the problem of thermal diffusion which may cause unwanted tissue damage to neighboring structures. The laser radiation is transmitted to the hand tool by way of a fiberoptic cable 16 that is coupled by a cable termination 60 to a lens 62 that collimates the light along axis 54. A lens 64 with a convex surface 66 focuses the parallel light as indicated by dotted line 70 to a point 72 in FIG. 3A; the target point 72 on the surface of the skin 74 receives and absorbs the light energy. The optical axis of the lens is offset from center line 54 allowing rotation of a barrel 52 to cause the focal spot 72 to rotate on the surface of the skin 74. This device does require a cooling liquid to be introduced through tube 38 so that the liquid proceeds across the radiated areas illustrated by 76 to suction tube 40. It is important in this invention that the focal spot 72 not remain over any points of any target areas 74 for any longer than is necessary to accomplish the particular purpose intended. The scanning means of this invention is housed within the handheld device and directs the focusing automatically thereby causing the laser beam to deviate from its optical path in a systematic manner thereby moving the focused spot of laser energy at a rate and in a desired pattern within a predetermined area of the target tissue.
Wirth, “Ophthalmic Instrument Having Hartmann Wavefront Sensor Deriving Location Of Spots With Spot Fitting Techniques,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,991 (2003) is directed to an instrument which embodies an automated surgical device for reshaping ophthalmic aberrations, in particular corneal corrections. The device includes a wavefront sensor that measures aberrations in the corneal surface by comparing light incident on the eye and reflected therefrom, allowing spatial modulation of the phase of the incident light to compensate for aberrations estimated by a wavefront center as well as a display device for graphically representing the contour aberrations. An adaptive optic subsystem is encompassed in this device and forms an image of a wavefront sensing illumination source on the retina of the eye under examination that is reflected and directed back to the instrument. An image of the reflected wavefront is created on a phase compensator and recreated at a wavefront sensor. The phase compensator operates to spatially modulate the phase of the image of the distorted wavefronts incident thereon; the wavefront sensor measures the phase aberrations in the wavefronts and operates in a closed-loop fashion with a controller to control the phase compensator so as to compensate for such phase aberrations and to restore the distorted wavefronts to phase-aligned wavefronts, which are directed to the wavefront sensor. The aberrations of the distorted wavefront measured by the wavefront sensor are deemed characteristic of the aberrations of the eye. In addition, the ophthalmic instrument of this invention preferably includes other elements seemingly in common with your concept: a headband and chin rest adjusting knob; and fixation target control knobs.
The prior art shows several systems in which the face or eye is scanned to measure topography. Computer control of a surgical laser is generally known. Feedback control of a laser used for skin treatment is shown in the art and in particular for the treatment of skin blemishes. Laser skin rejuvenation is also known.
The prior art fails however to address using a computer to calculate areas of concern in facial rejuvenation or the best way to handle each area by means of a complex of lasers, needle injectors, air injectors and spray applicators. Nor does the prior art provide a method of stabilizing the patient's head physically and with software to account for movements during the process, nor a method to be sure patient movement is accounted for.